


To keep him whole

by orphan_account



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek loves Paige, F/M, M/M, One Shot, Scott and Stiles eventual best friends, Stiles Loves Derek, Unrequited Love, derek doesn't love stiles, semi sad ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27514762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Stiles loves Derek, but Derek doesn't love Stiles.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Paige, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski-one sided
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	To keep him whole

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! I am so so so sorry for all the delays, school has been kicking my ass, and I just haven't really had the motivation to do anything. Thank you all for the support, and thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy. Comments are always appreciated! <3!

Stiles felt his heartrate pick up, felt like it was going to come out of his chest. His palms became sweaty, his fingers and hands developing a slight tremor. He didn’t know why he was so scared to do this, he just was. He could do this. He knew he could. He just needed to pick his feet up and carry himself to the front door.

He was going to ask Derek out.

You see, Stiles had met Derek in freshman year, had been the odd one out, and Derek, a sophomore at the time, had taken him under his wing. They had hit it off instantly, becoming best friends.

Stiles though, Stiles caught feelings. He caught them fast, and as much as he tried to get rid of them, they always came back full circle.

Stiles felt that it was time though, time to come clean about his feelings. Derek was a senior now, and Stiles was a junior, approaching being a senior.

He took another deep breath, steeling himself, getting his heartrate under control. He was about to open the door to his car when Laura, Derek’s sister came out of the house, eyes focused on him. He immediately locked the doors again and rolled up his window.

Laura scared him, okay?

“Stiles, roll down the window.” Laura said to the glass. Stiles stared straight forward, not looking anywhere near her.

“Stiles, I will rip the door off of it’s hinges, don’t test me.” She said, a bit of a sharp tone in her voice.

Stiles did look over at that, eyes a little wide. Laura knew how much this car meant to him, and he knew that she knew never to harm it.

“You—”

“I wouldn’t actually, Stiles, but you’ve been sitting out here for twenty minutes. I can practically hear your heart racing from inside.” Laura said. Stiles swallowed a little, looking back out his windshield.

“There’s just something I need to talk to Derek about, but I’m nervous to tell him.” Stiles said.

Laura nodded a little, waiting for him to calm down. He did, kind of. Eventually.

“Alright, come on inside, Stiles. You know you and him can talk about anything. You two are best friends.” She said. Oh, if Laura only knew the half of it.

He just nodded, giving her a small smile and stepping out of his car. He had worn his best jeans with his best flannel, the flannel being just plain white and black, but it matched perfectly with the jeans he was wearing. He hadn’t worn his usual Nike or Adidas shoe, he went with a pair of vans, new ones might he add, to spice things up a little. Laura wrapped an arm around his shoulders, dragging him inside with her. Stiles felt his heart rate pick up again, slightly, because he was actually going to do this. He was actually, finally, going to tell Derek how he felt.

Laura let go of his shoulders, settling him down into one of the kitchen chairs. She got him a glass of water, smiling softly at him.

“I’ll go and get Derek.” She said.

He chugged the water out of nerves, his leg starting to bounce, the urge to flee the home getting stronger and stronger. What if Derek didn’t like him? What if Derek ended their friendship over this? He didn’t know what he’d do without Derek, if he was being honest. Derek was his lifeline, the reason that he stayed sane. Without him? Pfft. He wouldn’t know how to function.

He had just set the glass down when both Derek and Laura came down the stairs, Derek giving him a soft smile, Laura giving him the same one. He gave them a nervous smile back, standing slowly, walking towards Derek.

“I… I need to talk to you.” He said. Derek nodded, staring to walk to the front door, so Stiles followed.

He’d always follow Derek.

They both stepped foot outside of the house, both walking near Stiles’ car. It was a good thing, cause if this ended badly, Stiles wanted to get away as quick as he could, get as far away from them as possible.

“What’s up, Sti?” Derek asked, leaning against the hood of the car.

All the words seemed to leave Stiles throat, his throat closing up on him. He took a few small deep breaths to calm himself down, but he was still nervous as hell. He wiped his sweaty palms against his jeans, finally gaining some composure to himself.

“I… okay. So. This has been something that I have wanted to tell you for about a year now, but I didn’t know when the time would be right, and right now seems like the best time to tell you. You’re a senior, graduating in what, four months? And I… I just really needed to tell you—” He was cut off by the door opening, a girl clearing her throat.

Stiles looked back at her, seeing that it was a girl in his grade, Paige, and she had on one of Derek’s shirts, and a pair of short shorts. Stiles turned back to look at Derek, who had a love stricken look on his face, one that screams ‘I love you’ from the rooftops.

“Go back inside, babe. I’ll be in in just one moment.” Derek said. Paige smiled and walked back inside.

Stiles felt his throat close up, unshed tears lining his eyes. He knew he shouldn’t have been so stupid to think Derek would want him. He should’ve known better.

“What was it that you wanted to tell me?” Derek said.

“Nothing. Never mind.” Stiles got out, his chest closing, feeling like he couldn’t breathe anymore.

“No, Stiles, what is it?” Derek pushed, and Stiles shook his head, not wanting to answer.

“Nothing, never mind.” He said, trying to push past Derek.

“Stiles—”

“I like you, okay! I like you. No, scratch that. I love you! And it’s clear to me that you don’t feel the same way.” Stiles yelled, Derek looking at him, taken back.

“Stiles, you know I love you, of course I do. We’re best friends. Like brothers, remember?” Derek asked, and oh, how that hit him straight in his heart.

“The love you have for me is not the love I have for you, Derek.” Stiles watched a range of emotions flicker across Derek’s face until they finally landed on one.

Disgust.

“Stiles. That’s—no. No. I am your best friend, not your lover. I am straight, and you… you played me. I didn’t even know you were gay. Stiles. No. I love Paige.” And Stiles should’ve seen that coming. He really should’ve.

“I’m bisexual, actually.” His voice cracked.

He needed to get out of there, needed to take himself home, or, or somewhere that wasn’t the Hale house. He pushed past Derek, their shoulders hitting together heavily with the weight that this was really over.

Stiles got into his car, turning the key into the ignition with shaky hands, the car rumbling to life. He wiped his eyes, throwing the car into reverse and hauling ass out of there.

He didn’t know what to do.

\---------------------------------

The rest of his time at school had been… sad. To say the least.

Derek stopped speaking to him, that was a given.

But he had no other friends. No one. Not a single person wanted to be his friend.

That was, until Erica and Scott came along.

The three of them hit it off, all of them closeted nerds, all of them bonding over stupid shit. It was nice, to find a sense of normalcy within the walls of the school.

He and Derek had made eye contact sometimes, but Stiles always looked away first, always went in the opposite direction.

Paige had tried to talk to him, but Stiles really didn’t have the energy needed to handle her. He just couldn’t.

It wasn’t until the day of graduation that Derek finally came up to him.

He wanted to run.

He felt his throat close up, felt his body go into fight or flight mode.

“Stiles, we need to talk.”

“I’m la—” Derek cut him off with the famous Hale glare.

“We need to talk. I know you aren’t late, and I know you don’t have anywhere to be.” Derek said.

Stiles deflated a little, but his body was still wired up, not quite sure what Derek wanted to talk about.

“I… I wanted to say that I’m sorry. For the way that I reacted. It wasn’t right of me, and I should’ve been more reasonable. I’m proud of you, for, for you know, coming out. As bisexual. I’m sorry I sounded so harsh. I’m sorry Stiles. From the bottom of my heart, I am. Do you. Do you think we could go back to being friends?” Derek finished off, and Stiles stared at him.

He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to be friends again, he did, but he wasn’t over Derek yet. Didn’t think he ever would be. It would just take a while.

“Yeah… friends. Congrats on graduating.” He said softly, and Derek smiled that big, beautiful smile at him, hugging him.

Stiles barely hugged back before Derek was off again, meeting Paige outside of the doors of the room.

Stiles felt his heart clench in his chest, felt his throat close up again, his tears becoming unshed. He wished he was Paige. Oh god, did he wish he was Paige.

But he knew he couldn’t have Derek like that.

Not now, not ever.

Not ever.

\---------------------------------------

_5 years later….._

Stiles had been doing amazingly well, getting the job of his dreams, adopting a dog from the humane society.

Life was good.

Erica and Scott were still around, so he was doing something right.

He was doing good.

Until _it_ showed up.

A wedding invitation.

Derek and Paige Hale, due to get married in a month.

A month.

Stiles had fallen to his knees beside his couch, the invitation being clutched to his chest. He had honestly, really thought he was over Derek. He thought he had finally moved on and made peace with the situation, but clearly he hadn’t.

He hadn’t.

\-------------------------------------

_One month later….._

Stiles had shown up to the wedding with Scott as his plus one. He had decided that coming here, coming to Derek’s wedding, would give him the closure he deserved.

The place they had chosen was elegant, all white and pristine, the tables and the guests there were all rich. Stiles didn’t think he belonged here.

And then he saw him.

Derek.

Fresh in a black tux, clean shaven, but still some stubble lingering. He looked good, and fuck, Stiles didn’t know if he’d be able to make it through this wedding.

Derek smiled at him, walking over to him, and Stiles stood frozen in place. Derek met him ninety percent of the way, Stiles getting his feet to work at the last minute.

“Hi.” Derek said, breathily.

“Hi.” Stiles said. He hadn’t seen Derek in five years. Five whole years. He didn’t know how to react.

“You look great.” Derek said, smiling at him.

“So… so do you.” Stiles answered, looking away when Scott came back holding up a drink.

“Congrats, bro!” Scott had yelled, and Derek gave him a polite smile, looking back at Stiles.

Stiles just gave a small one, tipped the glass towards Derek and walked away with Scott.

He felt oddly… calm. Now. He didn’t really know why.

Scott and him had sat down in their spots, seeing all the groomsmen file in, the families and the friends. Stiles stared at one man though.

That one man was Derek.

And he was going to get over him.

\-----------------------------

The wedding went off without a hitch, all the parties involved happily together, all smiles and laughs.

Stiles had sent Scott home early since Scott had work tomorrow. Stiles… Stiles wanted to say one last goodbye.

He grabbed a paper and a pen from the front, writing down a small and simple;

“ _Goodbye, Der. -S”_

He set it in Derek’s spot at the table, Derek and Paige getting their drinks together. He walked back to his own seat, grabbing his jacket, and throwing it over his shoulder.

He walked out of the room, down the stairs, and to the cars.

He looked back at the building, smiling sadly to himself.

“Goodbye, Derek.” He whispered.

He didn’t see Derek standing on the stoop, watching him.

He was just happy that Derek found someone to keep him safe and whole.

Someone to keep him happy.

To keep him whole.


End file.
